FF:RLMgB533 Buddhism and Western Culture - Course Information
RLMgB533 Buddhism and Western Culture
Faculty of ArtsSpring 2025
- Extent and Intensity
- 1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
- Teacher(s)
- Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Martin Špirk, Ph.D. (lecturer) - Guaranteed by
- Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Kristýna Čižmářová
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts - Prerequisites
- The course is taught in English, sufficient language knowledge is necessary.
- Course Enrolment Limitations
- The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 80 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/80, only registered: 0/80, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/80 - fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
- Study of Religions (programme FF, B-HS)
- Study of Religions (programme FF, B-PH) (2)
- Course objectives
- The course offers an insight into the encounter between Buddhism and Western cultures. Its aims are multiple: to explore the history of Western encounters with Buddhism; to reflect the impacts that this interaction left in various aspects of Western, mainly European, cultures; to briefly outline the issues connected to the development of Western and global Buddhism. Finally, the course also explores the historical context of the development of Western Buddhist studies as an academic discipline. During the course the student will have the opportunity to explore a large variety of written as well as audiovisual material.
- Learning outcomes
- After completing the course, the student will be able: • To outline key milestones in the history of Western encounters with Buddhism • To understand main discourses of Western (mis)representation of Buddhism • To explain the process of adaptation and development of Buddhism in Western countries • To identify Buddhist influences in Western culture
- Syllabus
- 1. Introductory lecture – sylabus, readings, requirements
- 2. First contacts of Europeans with Buddhism: Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
- 3. Medieval Christian missionaries meeting ‘Buddhists’
- 4. Exploration, expansion and mission: 15th-19th century encounters with Buddhism
- 5. Thesophical society and making of the ‘Protestant Buddhism’ / First Buddhists of Western origin: adaptation of a tradition
- 6. Transplantation of Buddhism to the West: societies, cultures and challenges
- 7. Buddhism and American culture: from Waldo Emerson to the Hollywood
- 8. Buddhism and Western visual art, music and other media
- 9. Buddhism in Czech culture
- 10. Engaged Buddhism – environmentaly and socialy engaged Buddhism in the West
- 11. Global Buddhism; student presentation
- 12. Reinventing Jewish identities through Buddhism – contemporary trends; students presentation
- 13. Students presentations, final discussion
- Literature
- required literature
- BRAUEN, Martin and Markus VOCK. Dreamworld Tibet : western illusions. Edited by Renate Koller, Translated by Martin Willson. 1st English ed. Trumbull, CT: Weatherhill, 2004, xii, 284. ISBN 0834805464. info
- recommended literature
- BATCHELOR, Stephen. Secular Buddhism : imagining the Dharma in an uncertain world. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017, x, 285. ISBN 9780300223231. info
- BRAUEN, Martin. Mandala : sacred circle in Tibetan Buddhism. Edited by Karl Debreczeny. Rev. and updated ed. Stuttgart: Arnoldsche Art, 2009, 262 s. ISBN 9783897903050. info
- Westward Dharma : Buddhism beyond Asia. Edited by Charles S. Prebish - Martin Baumann. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002, xi, 425. ISBN 0520234901. info
- BRAUEN, Martin, Renate KOLLER and Markus VOCK. Traumwelt Tibet - westliche Trugbilder. Bern: Paul Haupt, 2000, 296 s. ISBN 3258056390. info
- BATCHELOR, Stephen. The awakening of the west : the encounter of Buddhism and western culture: 543 BCE-1992. 1st pub. London: Aquarian, 1994, xvi, 416. ISBN 1855383438. info
- Teaching methods
- lectures, readings, class discussions.
- Assessment methods
- Presentation: 30% Each student is required to prepare a short (12 min.) presentation on a selected topic. Topics may be either chosen from a list provided by the teacher, or they may also suggest their own topic. Interaction/class participation: one written commentary (2-3 pages) to an assigned text 20% Final essay (1500 words) 50% Students are required to submit an essay which covers the same topic as their presentation. The essay should be around 1500 words long (including bibliography), based on relevant sources, which are used consistently and correctly.
- Language of instruction
- English
- Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
- The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučující.
- Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
- Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/RLMgB533